Introduction

Everyone would agree that divorce is the greatest tragedy that can befall a family. Wouldnt it be providential if the practice of natural family planning proves to be the authentic means to a successful marriage? Family of the Americas Foundation has just received the completed data collection of a study correlating marital happiness with the practice of Natural Family Planning (NFP). Since the early seventies, [Family of the Americas Foundation] has been conducting programs for couples that provide knowledge on the fertile and infertile phases of a womans cycle

For years we have witnessed the benefits our programs have provided to families, not only in Christian countries, but also Moslem and even communist nations. Even though numerous scientific evaluations and statistical studies have confirmed its effectiveness, even superior to artificial birth control, we have never been able to validate the incredible benefits to the family that our teachers have been observing for many years.

Last year a scientific survey was conducted under the direction of a reputable independent statistician, Dr. Robert Lerner. He is a Sociologist from the University of Chicago with a degree in Economics. The protocol stipulated that he would not only evaluate the findings, but also compare them to two of the largest U.S. government funded surveys that asked similar questions of the respondents.

Summary Of Findings

The results presented from the three surveys analyzed revealed that compared to other women in general and to Catholic women of similar age, NFP users:

have a dramatically low (0.2%) divorce rate;

experience happier marriages;

are happier and more satisfied in their everyday lives;

have considerably more marital relations;

share a deeper intimacy with spouse than those who contracept;

realize a deeper level of communication with spouse;

have relatively large families with many children;

are appreciably more religious and attend church more often;

incorporate prayer more in their daily lives;

rely strongly on the teachings of the Church, the Bible and Almighty God;

are personally happier;

have strong traditional, social, and moral views;

preserve the family unit more responsibly than the other groups;.

are unlikely to have ever had an abortion;

are unlikely to have ever cohabitated;

are unlikely to work full time;

are unlikely to be supportive of and to engage in sex outside of marriage;

The Natural Family Planning group studied consists of the typical middle class families of the United States of America, primarily Catholic, with small minority of Protestant and Evangelical. From this first study, however, (others need to be conducted to confirm our findings), we can ascertain that Natural Family Planning may become the major vindicator of respecting the natural laws. It promises to be the best safeguard for the family against divorce. Divorce fractures the family and creating conflict among its members the consequences of violating the natural laws through the use of artificial birth control, sterilization and abortion usually lead to promiscuity, cohabitation and ultimately divorce.

The report confirms the practice of a natural method of conception regulation (Natural Family Planning).

This study presents results from a survey of 505 couples that have been practicing Natural Family Planning, primarily the Ovulation Method, through the teachers of Family of the Americas Foundation. They are based on the first-ever survey of its kind. It examined the types of persons and the impact learning Natural Family Planning has made in their family life, as well as sexual and moral attitudes.

More studies are appearing from around the world regarding the estrogen pollution of waterways from chemical birth control, and its adverse effects, at least on various fish populations.

Most people oppose environmental pollution, but seldom think about the chemical pollution they inflict on their own bodies.

It is well documented that long-term exposure to estrogen may have a carcinogenic effect on the human body. The World Health Organization (WHO) lists most estrogens as carcinogenic substances.

Natural Family Planning (NFP) is an all-natural, body-friendly method of avoiding  or causing  pregnancy through a 98% effective 3-pronged plan of fertility awareness.

For many women, being aware of the power of their fertility is a very freeing sensation, as opposed to the bondage of chemical birth control methods that suppress normal body functions

Is there a legitimate alternative explanation for low divorce rate among practitioners of NFP?

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Excellent! Last time I checked, the data showed around a 4% divorce rate; this is even better. And if these same folks attend daily Mass together, now or when they’re older, participate in Confession and Rosary-recitation frequently, their chances of divorce are almost nil.

5
posted on 07/23/2010 8:37:20 PM PDT
by mlizzy
(Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee ...)

I think there is a selectivity issue here. Those who have stable marriage, more religious, and so on, are more likely to choose NFP compared to those who don’t have stable marriage or being more religious. So, it may not mean that if you use artificial birth control, you’d experience divorce, unhappiness, etc. At least, that’s not a conclusion that we can draw from this data.

I wonder if the study factored in the fact that Catholics can also get annulments, which are not the same thing as divorces and would not be counted as such. No other denomination does annulments to my knowledge.

19
posted on 07/23/2010 9:19:14 PM PDT
by Secret Agent Man
(I'd like to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.)

**I think from an outsider, more societal point of view, the family breakup is worse.**

I tend to agree with you. My mom and my daughters have expienced miscarriages/death of a child. It is heart wrenching to say the least.

But the loss of a family is community/state/nation wrenching — children have no positive model on which to base their parenting skills when a divorce occurs (provided the divorce did not happen because of abuse to the children or spouse.)

I’m not doubting what you say, I also know many dads feel like they’ve lost their kids (and in a sense they sure have) via divorce. They aren’t in your house anymore. They aren’t around. It’s very much like they are gone. On top of that their mom hates you and took half or more of your stuff.

25
posted on 07/23/2010 9:48:13 PM PDT
by Secret Agent Man
(I'd like to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.)

The graph is very interesting, but it doesn’t say anything about the causality between using divorce rates and NFP. As I mentioned in my previous post, those who have stable marriage (i.e., less likely to get divorce) are more likely to use NFP. They are highly correlated, I believe. However, it doesn’t translate to ‘use NFP and you’ll be more likely to have stable marriage, etc.’

I would say that those who want to just pop a pill to solve any problem, instead of adjusting their lifestyles are the issue. Which, IMHO, is a shallow way of solving any problem. Which is probably why those who lives are based on faith in God and have examined themselves and truly discovered the true reason they take pills(for any reason) are therefore more content in their marriages. Reasons for taking pills: convenience, promiscuity, availability, culture, resistance to change lifestyle, easy answer, peer pressure, time pressures.... Many of our current health issues are ‘solved’ by popping pills instead of changing behaviors.

29
posted on 07/24/2010 2:47:42 AM PDT
by grame
(May you know more of the love of God Almighty this day!)

Those are two separate things, Secret Agent Man. Annulments, actually Certificates of Nullity, refer to the Catholic marriage, which is one of the seven Sacraments. A Certificate of Nullity is given when a diocesan Tribunal determines, for various reasons, that the conditions for the marriage being sacramental did not occur. This applies in the Church, does not change legal status outside the Church. Divorce/dissolution are changes in legal status, but not recognized as such within the Church without a judgement of the type I described above. And, not trying to be too picky, strictly speaking, the Catholic Church isn’t a denomination(”of the name”). You are correct that none of the denominations (i.e. protestants, et al) have marriage as a sacrament in the same way, as far as I humbly know.

Department of Endocrinology, Dudley Road Hospital, Birmingham. During 20-22 September Manchester is to host the 1993 followup to last year's "earth summit" in Rio de Janeiro. At thatsummit the threat posed by world overpopulation received considerableattention. Catholicism was perceived as opposed to birth controland therefore as a particular threat. This was based on thenotion that the only method of birth control approved by thechurch--natural family planning--is unreliable, unacceptable,and ineffective. In the 20 years since E L Billings and colleaguesfirst described the cervical mucus symptoms associated withovulation natural family planning has incorporated these symptomsand advanced considerably. Ultrasonography shows that the symptomsidentify ovulation precisely. According to the World HealthOrganisation, 93% of women everywhere can identify the symptoms,which distinguish adequately between the fertile and infertilephases of the menstrual cycle. Most pregnancies during trialsof natural family planning occur after intercourse at timesrecognised by couples as fertile. Thus pregnancy rates havedepended on the motivation of couples. Increasingly studiesshow that rates equivalent to those with other contraceptivemethods are readily achieved in the developed and developingworlds. Indeed, a study of 19,843 poor women in India had apregnancy rate approaching zero. Natural family planning ischeap, effective, without side effects, and may be particularlyacceptable to the efficacious among people in areas of poverty.

We taught NFP for ten years, and used it briefly when we had grave reason for recourse to it (the only circumstances where NFP is morally licit, as the Church teaches.)

I can state unequivocally that the communication required to successfully practice NFP builds stronger marriages. I saw it in our own marriage, and witnessed it in the dozens of couples we taught over the years.

I posted my mom’s humorous observation as an anecdotal ‘first person’ response to NFP. Granted her experience was 50 years ago.

But even in your reply, the quoted piece says, ‘ 93% of women everywhere can identify the symptoms’, the implication is that 7% cannot identify symptoms. Allowing for errors (if we generously say 3%), that means a one-in-ten failure rate. Given the stakes (a human life) I think that that’s a risky game to be playing.

34
posted on 07/24/2010 7:15:33 AM PDT
by IncPen
(How can a man who won't produce his own documentation lecture the rest of us on immigration?)

Actually, that's not a proper conclusion; every scientifically valid study has found NFP to be 95 to 99% effective when used according to the guidelines.

But the bottom line is that it is open to Life, and therefore far more open to God's Will. Especially when compared to barrier and hormonal contraceptives!

In comparison, all barrier methods have a 5 to 15% failure rate and even the Pill is no better than NFP. The Pill and all other hormonal contraceptives are abortifacient, and therefore verboten to any committed Christian, and barrier methods are much less effective than NFP.

Most pregnancies during trials of natural family planning occur after intercourse at times recognised by couples as fertile...Indeed, a study of 19,843 poor women in India had a pregnancy rate approaching zero.

If poor illiterate women in India can achieve a failure rate approaching zero, think what educated motivated Americans could do.

By the way, I don't like referring to pregnancy while using NFP as a "failure." I see it as God's Will for that couple at that time in their life.

I often think about what the loss of a child would do to a family unit as a whole.

I have 3 children, and cringe at the thought of losing any of them, naturally. I would think that it would definitely leave a deep wound and that a scar would remain on the family even after the wound healed. The loss of that child would always be felt, even if the pain is in the background.

However, divorce is the family killer! I have seen that within my own family. The repercussions are endless to all family members, including the extended family. It's worse than a rock being thrown in a pound that causes a ripple effect. I equate it to a fault line under the water that moves constantly causing tsunamis. Some of the tsunamis aren't major, but there is always a huge tsunami threatening on the horizon. The pain just does not end.

I am glad to here about the “positive” results of NFP, but I do not think that I understand the concept. Is the goal to not have a child? I have read through some of the posts in this thread and it appears that a child is equated to a failure, this does not appear to line up with “children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward”. Why work against God’s reward?

Like I said, I may not understand the concept...My wife and I were told we would not have children by three different doctors and after leaving it in God’s hands we now have seven, and will accept more if it is God’s will.

If my children would literally starve if my wife were to get pregnant, it is morally licit to space children until I could afford to feed them.

NFP would be a morally licit way to achieve this necessity.

But artificial birth control is intrinsically evil. It can never be morally licit to have recourse to artificial contraception.

So to answer your question, the INTENTION in having recourse to EITHER artificial family planning OR "natural" family planning could be illicit or licit. One may be sinful, one may not.

However, the method itself, in the case of artificial birth control, is intrinsically illicit, i.e. regardless of intent is it gravely sinful.

However, NFP itself is morally neutral. It becomes morally illicit when the intention itself is illicit.

4 main reasons for having recourse to NFP.

1--Physical/ mental health---a pregnancy could kill you or so physically impair you as to prevent your fulfillment of your duties in your state in life---NOT because of a widening waste-line or drooping skin! Or psychological health, i.e., mom would literally have a nervous breakdown if she became pregnant---not because she &quot;just couldn't stand being home with the little kids all day without the personal fulfillment of her professional job...&quot;

2--Financial constraints---your child will starve if you have another. Wanting a bigger house or designer SUV just does not cut it!

3--work on the mission fields by one or both spouses that would preclude having children temporarily

4--active persecution or war---i.e., you or your child likely to die by coercive abortion, in concentration camp, in acts of war, etc.

Clearly we say these reasons must be SERIOUS, not trivial. Only the couple and their confessor can truly decide what truly constitutes grave reason.

We've had couples sit through my talk on this subject and literally say, &quot;Gee, we thought we were being good Catholics just for deciding to use NFP. Now we realize we don't even have grounds for recourse to NFP,&quot; then tell us a month or two later they're pregnant.

NFP vs Contraception

Spacing children may be a desirable goal that does not violate God's laws in certain serious situations such as those outlined above. But the means of achieving the goal differ.

One is intrinsically evil (abortion, abortifacient contraception, barrier methods, sterilization) while one is morally neutral (Natural Family Planning.

In one, an act is performed (sex) but its natural outcome is artificially foiled.

In the other, no act is performed (simple abstinence during fertile times) so there IS no act, therefore the practice is morally neutral.

It is then the intention of using NFP that constitutes its relative moral licitness or illicitness.

If NFP is used in a selfish manner, it too can be sinful.

If it is used only in grave circumstances, it is not sinful.

The difference is real.

Dieting (decreasing caloric intake, the &quot;act&quot; of NOT eating) is a moral and responsible means of losing weight to maintain the body's health.

Bulimia (the ACT of eating, them vomiting) is rightly called an eating DISORDER.

An ACT is performed (eating in this case) and its natural outcome (nutrition) is foiled by expelling the food from the body.

Likewise contraception is a disorder. An ACT is performed (sex) and its natural outcome (procreation) is foiled by expelling the sperm or egg or both (abortifacient contraceptives) from the body.

Contraception is to NFP what Bulimia is to dieting.

But just as dieting can be misused (anorexia) so too can NFP be misused in a sinful manner

I have read through some of the posts in this thread and it appears that a child is equated to a failure, this does not appear to line up with children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. Why work against Gods reward?

Thank you for your reply. I think I have a better understanding of NFP now and would agree with what you have described. I myself have never even considered “timing” things to even know when my wife would be fertile...but then again the doctors tell me she is not fertile...except for the seven children...

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